A couple of weeks ago my daughter, Lilah (5 ½ years old), was eating a cracker and told me her bottom tooth was hurting. I took a look and realized that she had her first loose tooth. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed her playing with the tooth more and more. She’s had a difficult time eating things like corn on the cob so I have been cutting it off for her. When I picked Lilah up from school last night the tooth was moving all over the place. I cringed every time I saw it move, but she thought it was the greatest thing. I stepped out into the yard for a few minutes, and when I returned she told me she had pulled out her tooth, and that it “didn’t hurt but there was some blood.” EEWW!

Last night she eagerly placed her tooth in a baggy under her pillow and awaited the gift mom promised from the Tooth Fairy. This morning she ran down the stairs pleased as punch with a five dollar bill. I used the opportunity to reminder her about proper dental care. I explained that she needed to be extra careful to keep her mouth clean so that the new hole from her missing tooth would not get an infection. We have also been discussing that when she gets her new teeth they will have to last her a lifetime.

I’ve included some information below about the baby-to-adult teeth process. I hope this helps ease any fears you may have and equips you with information to prepare your child for this milestone.

When will my child’s baby teeth start falling out and which ones?Alan Carr, D.M.D. a prosthodonist with the Mayo Clinic said, “A child’s baby teeth (primary teeth) begin to loosen and fall out on their own to make room for permanent teeth at about age 6. Timing can vary, though, and girls generally lose baby teeth earlier than do boys. The last baby teeth typically fall out by age 12 or 13.

Baby teeth usually fall out in the order in which they erupted — first the two bottom front teeth (lower central incisors), followed by the two top front teeth (upper central incisors), the lateral incisors, first molars, canines and second molars. If a child loses a baby tooth early as a result of tooth decay or an accident, a permanent tooth may erupt early and potentially come in crooked due to limited space.”

What if my child in nervous about the process and wants you to take it out?
If your child wants you to pull out a loose tooth, grasp it firmly with a tissue or piece of gauze and remove it with a quick twist. If the tooth is resistant, wait a few days and try again. If you’re concerned about a baby tooth that doesn’t seem to loosen sufficiently on its own, check with your child’s dentist. He or she may recommend a wait-and-see approach or an extraction in the dental office.

When your child starts to lose his or her baby teeth, reinforce the importance of proper dental care. For example:

Remind your child to brush his or her teeth at least twice a day. Supervise and help as needed.

Help your child floss his or her teeth at bedtime.

Limit eating and drinking between meals and at bedtime — especially sugary treats and drinks, such as candy and soda.

Schedule regular dental visits for your child, either with your family dentist or a pediatric dentist.

Ask the dentist about use of fluoride treatments and dental sealants to help prevent tooth decay.

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Miranda finally has her first loose tooth! Ever since she learned about the Tooth Fairy, she has been bugging me about when her first loose tooth was going to happen. Of course, it doesn’t help that all her classmates in First Grade have already lost teeth in class. Whoever loses a tooth gets to put a sticker on the tooth chart, a trip to the nurse’s office, and a very cool tooth holder necklace to place the fallen prize. So it’s quite obvious on the tooth chart, that my poor little girl still has all her baby teeth.

So now she has a “looth tooth,” and all she does is wiggle it. Morning, noon and night… wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. I can’t wait for that little tooth to fall out already so I can see her whole face without her hand or finger in the way.

When I first saw these photos, it reminded me of one my brother sent a few years ago, wherein all the kids in the photo had one or two missing front teeth. Everyone in the photo was just around 7 or about to be, and, at that age, it’s a right of passage to lose your two front baby teeth! These photos are of Sweetie’s nephews, and though quite recent, Jake’s other front tooth came loose and went by way of the Tooth Fairy as well! As with most things related to childhood, it’s amazing to be reminded of how nature works…growing pains, the magical nature of baby teeth…tooth pulling methods! I think I remember my brother coming up with a contraption where he tied one end of a string around my loose tooth and the other end to a doorknob. Can you guess the rest of this story? 😉

When my daughter was a wee little babe and going through the teething phase, I tried everything under the sun to pacify her (frozen bagels, frozen waffles, and a wet face cloth). I also bought everything at the store that had the word “teething.” It got pretty expensive. I remember coming across a recipe online to make my own teething biscuits, but that was a few years ago, and I can’t locate it anymore. Instead I found something similar, courtesy of wholesomebabyfood.com. It’s eggless and wheatless! (more…)